Burt Bacharach: What the Songwriting World Needs Now

Something to replace federal control over how much composers get paid.

By

Burt Bacharach

Jan. 22, 2014 7:12 p.m. ET

I am a songwriter—one of the fortunate ones who has earned a living creating melodies that have resonated with audiences for decades. A case in court this week spotlights the question of whether others can thrive writing music in the future.

Like almost every songwriter, I struggled for years, endured many rejections and had to borrow rent money from my dad. My first office at New York's Brill Building, which was the hub of the...